by Streeter

Welcome to a new week, Indaba.  It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop on the ol' Indablog here.  But what to talk about?  We've argued about guitars and keyboards and drums.  And we've argued about music videos and bands.  We've argued about cover songs and you've given me buying tips for new instruments.  So what's left?  Well, how about we argue about something a bit smaller.  Let's argue about guitar solos. 

The guitar solo is one of those most cherished commodities of a rock band.  A good guitar solo can be more memorable than the song that surrounds it.  There are hundreds of great ones, thousands of decent ones and even more bad ones (listen to any Limp Bizkit guitar solo and you'll know what I mean).  A good solo can lift a song to a new level and lift the public's opinion of a band up with it.  What would Zep be without Page?  The Stones without Richards?  Bon Jovi without Sambora? The list goes on and on. 

So I ask you guys today to name off some of your favorite guitar solos and give me a little explanation as to why.  I'll start:

• "Let It Be" The Beatles - George Harrison rips this guitar solo no questions asked. The songs is fairly slow and rambling but then, out of nowhere, he punches in and really kicks it up.  The solo gives the tune the energy it needs to finish strong.  And finish strong it does, thanks to Harrison's great guitar work. 
  
• "November Rain" Guns n' Roses - Yes, it's hair metal, leather pants, overblown 90's cock rock at it's finest, but damn if that isn't one good solo.  If you can block the image of Slash standing in a desert, wailing on a Les Paul for a minute and instead just listen to the licks, you can hear why Slash will be remembered as one of the great rock guitarists of all time.  He played exactly what the song needed and that song needed a lot. 
  

Now it's your turn.  Leave your favorite ones in the comments.

It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  It was 4th of July this past weekend and for you non-Americans on here, that is the day when we celebrate our spanking of the British many, many years ago.  It's a very patriotic holiday with fireworks and parades and TV tributes to "America: Then and Now."  So in honor of our great nation's birthday I thought we could have an America!-themed Monday showdown.  And yes, that exclamation point was intentional.  Because this isn't a day to celebrate America.  This is a day to celebrate America!  You might even follow that with a rousing "We're #1! We're #1!"  A lot of pro-America music is very nuanced and balanced; taking the good with the bad and celebrating the many things that make this country great while not overlooking the things that make it awful.  But we're not interested in that today.  No, for this Monday Showdown I want to know what you guys think is the most obnoxiously pro-America song out there.  I've selected two to choose from (with a tongue-in-cheek nod to this gem).  Which one is more obnoxious?

God Bless the USA - Lee Greenwood

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue - Toby Keith

Hey Indaba, welcome to another week!  It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  This week I want to talk abut something we don't often cover on here (which is strange, given what Indaba is): song writing.  There are thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands - of song writers on Indaba and I want to pose a question to all of them.  It's a chicken-or-the-egg scenario, really, so there is bound to be some disagreement, but what comes first when composing a song: the lyrics or the music?  When you sit down to pen a tune do you come to the table - or keyboard or guitar or whatever - with a melody in your head or with some lyrics on your brain?  Do you write out lyrics blindly and then wrap a tune around them or vice versa?  Do you find one way easier than the other?  Or are any of you lucky enough to have the two always come together at once?  So let fly in the comments and have a great week Indaba!

Hello Indaba.  Welcome to another week.  It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  This week I've chosen a very divisive issue in the drumming world: cymbals.  Traditionally, there are two big cymbal companies, Zildjian and Sabian (Sabian was actually started by a disgruntled Zildjian family member, believe it or not), but other cymbal makers out there get their due and proper as well.  You have Paiste and Meinl plus smaller, pricey shops like Istanbul.  What I want to ask the drummers of Indaba is this: What kind of cymbals do you recommend? But not just that, I want to know...

• What kind of hi-hats you use?
• What kind of crashes you use?
• What kind of rides and splashes and chinas?
• Do you use all of the same brand or do you mix and match to fit your needs?
• What is your favorite cymbal?

So have it at in the comments and have a gret week. 

Hello Indaba and welcome to another week.  It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  Last week I threw out an open-ended call for keyboard knowledge and you guys responded.  This week I want to do the same for a different instrument.  This week I want to talk about acoustic guitars.  I want anyone with an opinion about wireless axes to leave a comment about their preferred model but I want more than that, too.  So, if you're inclined to rock without power, let Indaba know...

• Which acoustic guitar you like the best?
• How much is a reasonable amount to spend on an acoustic guitar?
• If you had all the money in the world, what acoustic guitar would you buy?
• What is the worst acoustic guitar you've ever played?
• What is the most fun song to play on an acoustic guitar?

That's all!  So weigh in with answers to any and all of my questions in the comments and have a great week, Indaba.

Hey Indaba, it's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  Last week I asked for advice on drum machines and this week I'm back with more requests but, sadly, not  for things I want to buy.  This week I'd like to give some attention to an instrument that does not get a lot of love on here, even though most of us learn to play it before anything else: the piano.  Now, I'm gonna assume the vast majority of Indaba users (at least the ones with the free accounts) are not in the market for a real piano and will probably be looking to buy an electric keyboard instead.  So, any pianists out there who could lend a hand, how about weighing in on the following...

- Do you have any keyboard reccomendations?
- What is a good beginner model?  Intermediate?  Expert?
- What is a brand or make to avoid at all costs?
- Any fun tricks or tips for messing around on an electric keyboard?
- If you had unlimited money, which keyboard would you buy and why?

Welcome to another week, Indaba.  It's Monday and that means it's time to talk shop.  Last week I posted an open call to all the engineers in the house to give us some Mic tricks and we got some good ones.  This week I want to talk about something becoming (sadly for drummers) more prevalent in the music world: drum machines.  Now, nothing can ever replace the pounding excitement a real drummer brings to a live gig but for a lot of recorded music, having a robot do it instead is easier and more versatile.  But here's the thing: there are so many drum machines and beat-making consoles available today it's kind of difficult to nail one down to purchase.  I have to admit I have a selfish aim here: I am in the market.  I live in New York where it's almost impossible to play drums for A) the noise they make and B) the space they take up.  However, I still want to make beats and mess around with my percussive side.  So, this week I want to know...What is the best drum machine?  What makes it the best?  Is there a cheaper option that doesn't include as many superfluous feature?  Have at it in the comments and help me make a decision.  Thanks, Indaba!

It's Monday and you know what that means: talking shop.  Last week we changed it up a bit and discussed our favorite guitar pedals.  You guys had a bunch to say so let's keep it going.  This week let's talk mics.  But where to begin?  There are thousands of different mics used for hundreds of special uses, so let's try to give it some structure.  So, this week I want you guys to talk about...

•  Your favorite brand of mic?
•  Your favorite model of mic and how you use it?
•  Any favorite specialty mics - such as a great bass drum mic?
•  Any good tips or tricks for getting better performance out of a mic?

So it's a little different this week but I think this will be better for the community on here.  Let 'em rip in the comments. 

Welcome to another week, Indaba!  It's Monday and that means it's time to argue.  We've been talking about movies and music videos for a while but this week I want to return to form.  I want to discuss something I never fully grasped as a drummer: the joy guitar players get out of pedals.  There are innumerable pedals for electric guitar players so we couldn't just throw it open to debating any old one.  Instead, I'll pick the two that I see (and hear) most often: the distortion pedal and the wah wah pedal.  These two pedals have been shaping the sound of modern music for the last half-century but what I want to know is this: which one is more useful to you guitarists? 

And after you weigh in on that, drop a comment about what your favorite pedal is.  I know each guitarist's pedals are a very personal thing and I also know that guitarists LOVE to talk about their set up.  So let all the Indabans on here know which pedals you use, what the do and why you love them so much.  Also, which brands do you like?  Vox?  Korg?  Boss?  Let us all know so any guitarists in the market on here can make an informed decision. 

Welcome to another week, Indaba.  This week Indaba co-founder, Dan, celebrated a birthday and in his honor, I wanted to bring a birthday theme to this post.  Since there is only one accepted birthday song - which you can read about here - there's not much to debate.  Instead, let's discuss songs about growing up.  There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of songs about growing up but I've narrowed it down to my three favorites.  And these won't be songs about the pains of growing up, per se, they'll be more about looking back and remembering.  Songs written by people actually in the process of growing up are usually not worth commenting on (if you don't believe me, go to an 8th grade talent show).  I'll post all three below and you can tell me which one best captures the mix of nostalgia, wisdom and regret that color our later years.  And Dan, Happy birthday! 

Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days (pardon the weird video)

Bryan Adams - Summer of 69

Alphaville - Forever Young